Fertility in Pakistan has shown a stubborn resistance to change. Because of sharp declines in mortality following World War II, the population of Pakistan was growing at the rate of 2.7 percent per annum around 1960.

A number of recent studies [A] [D] have documented evidence to show that couples have a decided preference for a particular sex combination of children. For example, in many South Asian countries, including India, there is a strong preference for sons over daughters.

In recent years, fertility has become an important subject of inquiry for economists. The decision to have children and their number and timing involve trade-offs which constrain the purchase and consumption of durables and other household items vying for the family's scarce resources.